News

Eagles pull off stunning victory against the Patriots in Super Bowl LII

As the league championships finally came to an end, and the dust had settled, the teams going to the Super Bowl seemed irritatingly familiar, as the Patriots and Tom Brady headed to their sixth Super Bowl game. The Patriots have long been the dominating force in the NFL, with the seemingly unstoppable force of Brady and head coach Bill Belichick destroying any and all competition. The Eagles were the surprising team this year, especially with their starting quarterback Carson Wentz going down mid-season with a knee injury. Their backup, Nick Foles, more than picked up the slack, and his performance in Super Bowl LII was nothing short of spectacular.

Over the course of the game, Foles completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, and even caught a touchdown pass in a trick play worthy of making it Super Bowl highlight reels for years to come. Foles was able to capitalize on most third-down opportunities, and completed passes into such aggressive coverage that it seemed he was among the elite of quarterbacks in the league. Nick Foles was awarded to the Super Bowl LII Most Valuable Player. Foles, who had a one-yard touchdown reception from tight end Trey Burton, is the first player in NFL history with a touchdown pass and a touchdown catch in a Super Bowl. He also the only quarterback in NFL history to have a 100+ passer rating in each of his first four career postseason starts.

Throughout the game, the Patriots struggled with defensive problems, finding trouble stopping the Eagles from continuously scoring. Their defense floundered compared to their offense, which was able to generate more than 600 yards total, an incredible feat for a Super Bowl performance. Amendola and Gronkowski both were driving forces in the Patriots offense, with Gronkowski catching a touchdown pass by Brady late in the 4th quarter that put the Patriots ahead for the first time in the game. This was where Eagles fans started to get antsy, knowing how well Brady can be in pulling off winning a game under seemingly insurmountable odds.

However, the Patriots lead was short lived, thanks to some aggressive play calling by Eagles coach Doug Peterson. The Eagles were faced with a 4th-and-1 late in the fourth quarter, with them trailing. Foles was able to complete a shocking pass to receiver Zach Ertz, extending their drive. It was capped off with with an incredible 11-yard touchdown to Ertz that gave the Eagles a 38-33 lead. The play was reviewed by officials, as it seemed Ertz didn’t have possession of the ball in initial replays. Officials ruled it a touchdown.

With the Patriots getting the ball back in the fourth quarter with a little more than 1 minute of play time, it was time for Brady to work his comeback magic. Things were off to a good start, with Brady completing several passes to Gronkowski, but it all came crumbling down when the Eagles pass rush finally got to Brady, stripping the ball and turning it over. The Eagles were able to capitalize on it with a field goal. The Patriots final drive turned out to not be enough, and the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl title.

Tom Brady did not head over to Nick Foles after the game to congratulate him on the incredible win for the former backup-quarterback. The city of Philadelphia certainly made up for it, with Eagles fan partying and celebrating late into the night.